Surrogate shoppers response to select marketing mix variables

Abstract

Surrogate shoppers are commercial enterprises, paid by the users to make or facilitate selection decisions on behalf of them. The study has three research objectives i.e. to describe and to compare the users of surrogate shoppers with non users of surrogate shoppers; to describe and to compare the response of users and non users of surrogate shoppers to select marketing mix variables viz. product recommendation, product customisation, customised price promotion and personalised marketing communication and to describe the response of surrogate shoppers to personalised marketing communication. This study applies the theoretical lens of the TIMES model and stimulus organism response theory. Data was collected through online survey methodology, using quota sampling, from surrogate shoppers, users of surrogate shoppers as well as their non users, belonging only to the travel and finance industries. Structural equation modelling was used extensively to test the hypotheses. The findings of the study reveal that users and non users of surrogate shoppers are different with respect to psychographic and socio demographic characteristics, however, their response to select marketing mix variables is largely found similar. Product recommendation and product customisation are found to have benefits, customised price promotion and personalised marketing communication emerges as useful for users as well as non users of surrogate shoppers. Brand attitude emerges as important, whereas privacy concerns do not come out as important for both users and non users. Privacy concerns are found to be important for surrogate shoppers in the finance industry but not so in the travel industry. newline